On December 21, 2010, a total lunar eclipse in Gemini will begin at 1:33 AM EST. According to the NASA website, totality begins at 2:41 AM and last for 72 minutes. NASA recommends that if you want to take a look, head outside at 3:17 AM, when the moon will be in deepest shadow.
I was intrigued that NASA has a little addendum to their info about this eclipse. It’s called coincidences and reads: “A lunar eclipse smack-dab on the date of the solstice, however, is unusual. Using NASA’s 5000 year catalog of lunar eclipses and JPL’s HORIZONS ephemeris to match eclipses and solstices, author Dr. Tony Phillips had to go back to the year 1378 to find a similar “winter solstice lunar eclipse.”
1378? That’s impressive. I fished around on the Internet, looking for world events for that year, thinking it might provide clues about what this lunar eclipse portends for life in 2010/2011. The big news seemed to be something called “The Great Schism.” It seems to go something like this: in 1378, the papal court was based in Rome and an Italian was elected pope as Pope Urban VI. But the French cardinals refused to acknowledge him as the pope, declared his election void, called his election void, and named Clement VII as pope. Clement went to Avignon, Urban remained in Rome. This threw a major wrench into western Christianity. Who were they supposed to follow? This schism lasted for about 40 years.
So, could this lunar eclipse possibly portend some schism in the Catholic church as it exists now? Or maybe it’s a different sort of schism. Let’s take a closer look at those times.
There were some minor rebellions that year – textile workers in Italy rebelled against a town government controlled by the guilds. Between 1378 and 1382, peasant revolts in England and France were cruelly suppressed. The peasants, naturally, didn’t have money for weapons. There was a great disparity between the rich and the poor. The rich, of course, generally lived longer and the poor lived in miserable conditions. Most of the poor lived in small communities of 20-40 families and their lives were about toil. Sounds like fun, huh?
Between 1377 and 1399, considered the late Middle Ages, Chaucer began to write The Canterbury Tales (1380); there was a peasant revolt in England in 1381 and 10,000 rebels plundered and burned London over a period of two days.
It seems another possible theme that could emerge from this lunar eclipse and the solar eclipse on January 4, 2011: a growing disparity between the rich and the poor. Given the current trends, including the U.S. Congress cutting taxes for the richest Americans, it seems likely. The same politicians on the right, who promoted the tax break for the wealthy, are calling for deep cuts in domestic spending–possibly affecting medicare and social security–which will undoubtedly hurt all but the rich. So it goes.Could this unusual cosmic phenomenon result in some minor rebellions? In the U.S., we mean real rebellion, not the corporate-funded reactionary protests of the Tea Party. We’ll see.
But, the future aside, I plan to head outside around 3 AM tomorrow morning, and am hoping for clear skies! And I love it that NASA at least recognizes coincidences!
Hi Lori – really? Send your source. We should forward it to NASA – that's where the 1378 info came from!
I've been reading that there was a Lunar Eclipse on the Winter Solstice 372 years ago in 1638.
Fascinating! Thank you!
What I meant to say – instead of
"according to their lives at that time,"
was – according to their BELIEFS at that time,-
our lives are based our our beliefs.
What fascinated me about this post is the length of the lunar eclipse cycle because my sister was explaining stuff about this to me this summer. There were 36 and 72 year cycles and more…
So going back to the late 14th century is awesome information. The message I got is – The evolution of humanity isn't a generational thing. Instead it's a millennium thing. And the revolutions and Armageddons may be cyclical on a massive astronomical scale that spans centuries. And yet, it was always the individual choices of those involved in those times, according to their lives at that time, that resolved to put their lives on the line, and evolve.
This is not a same-old-same-old-cycle in comparison to the 14th century and today. But what is possible today was built on the cycles initiated when the average life span of a human on this planet was about 30 years.
Wow, this is mind boggling stuff…
Thanks!
The anonymous PK could probably be the recently MIA PhD Dr. Paul. Sounds like him. Interesting coincidence about those who have and those who don't: I saw that Oprah's book club pick now is the old classic A TALE OF TWO CITIES, which is the quinessential story of such matters…as Madame DeFarge sits below the guillotine and knits as the heads roll. Cool WV: "enite" eclipse night? cj
as far as lunar coincidence check full moons or actually full and new next 2 decmembers,, what are the favorite digits,,,,, 2 me "MOST" bizarre……….
yeah I know,,, expect for the 3 am thing,, trying to conceptualize it,, getting all dizzy,,, O well could tell ya's Nigeria connection,, and also very crazy coinkydinky with Steve J.'s orginal partner,,,, but unfortunately can't connect them….
All lunar eclipses take place on the full moon. As we said, 3 a.m. EST.
Midnight, your time, Simple.
so is that 3 am east coast west coast GMT or Austrailan,,,, coincidently enough it is a full moon also,,,, O wait maybe a this is connected,, or actually by definition
musing – try sandra lee and/or ina garten for fantastic baked brie – yummmmm…..now i think i'll have to add that little dish to my menu!!!
and wv here is syndeli – hmmmmm….syn deli – synchro deli??? 😉
PK – the significance is that the eclipse falls on the winter solstice, typically a day as powerful as the summer solstice. And the fact that it hasn't happened in 500 years, on that day, is significant. A lunar eclipse is about gaining insights, about emotional reactions to internal events. Of course, if you don't believe that the winter and summer solstice are power days, then the eclipse will just be pretty.
Musing – love the sorts French wv!
As always MacGregors, super informative and thought-provoking. Just last week I was reading about Avignon as a blogging buddy was writing about a Viking River Cruise in France next May. The wv looks a little French, don'cha think?
wv: limpybou (cracks me up)
Maybe it all ties into the recipes I've been researching today for Baked Brie for Christmas Eve!!?
Is a lunar eclipse really any less common on the winter solstice than any other day? Think about it – pick any random date on the calendar, and you'll find many hundreds of years between eclipses on that particular date. The fact that the date in question happens to correspond to the winter solstice is inconsequential.
pk
Very cool! Well I might be sleeping, but now that I read that it hasn't happened since 1378 I may just have to roll out of bed and check it out! Thanks for letting us know.
Mike – that's an interesting synchro in and of itself! 500 years later and the same stuff was more or less still going on.
I think this eclipse is more about how 2010 ends and the solar eclipse on 1/4/2011 is about how the new year begins. But we'll see.
You don't have to have planets in Gemini – everyone has a house in Gemini somewhere in their chart. That's the area that's affected, but it's certain less impacted without a natal planet in Gem.
Very interesting. I've always been worried about a rebellion. Anarchy rules when the schism between those that have and those that don't rises to unbearable levels. History always repeats itself, it seems. It will be a better hour here where – about 10:17 p.m. for the eclipse.
Great post and interesting synchro! Since I don't have any planets in Gemini, I hoping that this eclipse won't affect me too much. I will be watching, as well.
Great post and synchros.
Your mention of 1378 was of interest as moments before I had been looking through a book I have containing papers from 1878, 500 years later. I remember noticing that there was a new Pope in that year as well, Leo XIII.
It will be interesting to see what pans out after the eclipse.
Very cool synchro! It's weird how things just loop. Same old loop… I go through a lot of 1940/50's Life magazines for art treasures…and as I read just from that time period…things people were doing, and saying…are still the same for today…nothing much ever changes. Is this as far as we can evolve as humans…we just keep repeating history…making loops?
I hope something changes for the better in 2011.
This was a great post. Thanks for taking the time to research and share with us.
what an absolutely incredible post, you two – every time i think you all have done the creme de la creme of the creme de la creme, you do another! i'd actually forgotten this eclipse somehow – and to be reminded with such a great story, super great! what a connection of the present and future with the past – thanks so much!!! now, to get my telescope out that santaclausene brought me last year!!!
That is an amazing synchronicity. I actually thought it would be common, but it isn't at all. I think I'll be bearing in mind this event as I look at how next year unfolds. Or this year ends.